Rejection on the Alpha #1

12. Testing The Ruler

(New and edited)
CHAPTER 12: Testing The Ruler

Martin was playing a dangerous game.

He slept soundly next to me, half naked and contrasting compared to the shadowed sheets of his covers. While guests were present, we had to act in love, but what I saw in his mind earlier this night was a deceptive plan he'd targeted at me. I couldn't see that far into his thoughts. I couldn't target his feelings the same as he could target mine.

I stared at the doors to the room. Escaping was out of the question for now, but something was urging me to get out of the room. To find something called the Roman library and meet someone there. Whoever planted the thought in my mind was smart, and powerful.

In silence, I moved. The door opened, but I didn't feel compelled more so than someone trying to suggest I move, and I moved along corridors that I still had yet to know. Each wall was too similar, each wooden floorboard that had its own creak, its own pattern.

That got infuriating.

Until I found the golden plate with Roman engraved and I raised a brow when I opened it, revealing just who was seated reading an old script, in a chestnut robe with golden eyes that met mine from his seat. I stepped inside, bowing, "Cardinal."

"No need for formality, child. How are you?" He asked me, standing from his position. I moved towards him and embraced my old professor.

"Drowning." I said truthfully.

"As are most for newly mated alphas. I've heard the stories, the rumours, but I thought they were just that, rumours?" He wondered, sitting down beside me while I relaxed, looking at him before needing some sort of head rest.

I inhaled deeply, "If only they were. No, it's probably all true. I didn't know elders would come to check each candidate before the tournaments?" I questioned, facing him now.

He sighed, lowering the book to the table, reading about specific flowers. Interesting.

"The anger an alpha male can emanate is far too destructive for my liking. Have you heard of a flower known as the Black Dahlia? Superbly intriguing, with its intricate and poisonous qualities. Nicolai grows it in his private balcony, you should look into locating that." He said.

I stilled as I looked at him, "What did you say?"

He raised an eyebrow, "Oh, a forget me not spell, what a boring hag your mate is? If you can even truly call him that. You do recall I have a certain insight on things. When you and the man you know as Martin, more so his middle name, consummated a rather forceful agreement in the Alexandrian library downstairs, he made you wed him. Cheeky male, but quite daft, I've removed what he tried to make you forget, you'll recall it soon enough. Hopefully before you must show your skills in front of the other elders and myself, won't that be a laugh." He chuckled. Always speaking like branches in a tree. He said one thing, hence one branch, and moves on to something different enough to be a separate branch, but still part of the same tree.

Now I'm being cryptic.

All I'm saying is he's giving me information in all sorts of directions, I need to find out how they're related, "This kind of training was in your high school class of mine, lecture thirty—best to review, you'll be surprised how handy high school is. No matter your choice of words regarding prison with outside privileges but still a five year sentence." He told me, patting my hand.

I blinked, "Black Dahlia, a poisonous flower on his own private balcony, how'd you find that?" I started with.

"He drinks it in his tea to control his lycanthrope around you. You should look into his heritage, you might see reason behind his aggressive behaviour. But then again, I wouldn't go easy on him." He told me, as if we were just discussing the weather.